Exclusive: Ryan Walsh outlines ongoing struggles of gaining title shots without a promoter

Chandler Waller 06/06/2018

Ryan Walsh is chasing title shots after winning his British belt outright, vowing to get himself in unavoidable position.

Last time out, Walsh had a close fight with Isaac Lowe on the George Groves v Chris Eubank Jr. undercard – which resulted in a draw.

Whilst Lowe chases a rematch, Walsh has his eyes set on bigger challenges involving European and World belts.

In an exclusive interview with WBN, Walsh was asked if he had plans in place to get into mandatory positions, to which he replied: “That’s the plan, but its also impossible when you’re not being promoted. It’s a money sport so all of a sudden I’ve become 10th in the WBO after I got a draw in my last fight.

“In my situation, who do you know who’s had four British title fights? – It’s unheard of. I went and fought for the European and that drugs cheat (Dennis Ceylan) shouldn’t have got the decision. It should be a no contest – it should be scrapped.

“The EBU I keep ringing them wondering how I cannot get the shot when Ceylan was a drugs cheat. I think its a bit unlucky, just one of those things and I’m not crying about it.

“Thanks to the drugs cheat I got to keep my British outright so I’m happy.”

Walsh also had time to joke about the situation, he said: “Out of all the badness in not being a European champion which I know I am – I’m the undeclared European champion in my eyes, I got to keep the British outright.

“Now, I want to fight the best fights at feather for titles, I can’t ever see a World champion giving me a free crack.

“I think I’m probably too dangerous for them at this time, I’ve always been too dangerous – what do they get by winning.

“I don’t blame them because they’ll say ‘if I beat him what do I get and if I don’t beat him’ I just don’t think I fit for them guys.

“Ideally I would have been European champion and they wouldn’t have been able to avoid me because I would have had rankings across the board and given the opportunity to challenge as a voluntary.”

“Nowadays you have to get in that position but without a promoter or knowing somebody that’s very difficult, you need someone battling for you on the other side of the ropes, the people I’m with haven’t got the power to do that.

“You need to be with Eddie Hearn or Frank Warren or another promoter who has that little pull for you. It’s very difficult nowadays, I’ve never been in that position,” he concluded.

Chandler Waller is a staff writer for World Boxing News. Follow Chandler on Twitter@ChandlerWaller